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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Benefits and money
    3. Benefits and financial support
    4. Support if you're employed or looking for work
    5. Universal Credit

    What is Move to Universal Credit

    The benefits system is changing. If you currently get a benefit that is ending, you will be asked to make a claim for Universal Credit instead. You will receive a letter when you need to Move to Universal Credit.

    What is Universal Credit

    Universal Credit is a payment for people under State Pension age who are on a low income or out of work. It includes support for the cost of housing, children and childcare, and financial support for people with disabilities, carers and people too ill to work. It is designed to help people both in work and out of work to get the financial support they need.

    What is Move to Universal Credit

    Universal Credit (UC) has been in place in Northern Ireland since 2017 and is replacing six older benefits including tax credits. It’s now time to start asking people who are still getting these benefits and credits to move to Universal Credit. This is known as Move to Universal Credit or Move to UC. When you claim Universal Credit, any benefits it replaces will stop.

    You will not be able to go back to your existing benefits once you have claimed Universal Credit.

    Will Move to Universal Credit affect you

    If you live in Northern Ireland and get any of the benefits being replaced by Universal Credit you do not need to do anything unless your circumstances change as the Department for Communities will send you a letter when it is time for you to move to Universal Credit.

    The letter you will receive is called a Migration Notice letter. It will be clearly marked so that you know who it is from and will tell you that you need to make a claim to Universal Credit by a certain date. You will have three months from the date noted on your letter to make your claim.

    Benefits that will end and move to Universal Credit

    The following benefits are ending and being replaced by Universal Credit:  

    • Income Support
    • Income - Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
    • Income - Related Employment and Support Allowance 
    • Housing Benefit if you are working age and rent a home, excluding payments for rates   

    You will not move to Universal Credit if you are only getting:

    • New Style Jobseekers Allowance
    • New Style Employment and Support Allowance

    Other benefits that will not move to Universal Credit

    If you get other benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer’s Allowance (CA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Child Benefit, you will not be asked to move to Universal Credit unless you also receive one of the working age benefits that is ending.

    When you will be asked to move to Universal Credit

    These dates are a guide and this page will be updated if dates change.

    Benefit From

    Income Support only

    Income Support with Housing Benefit

    February 2025
    Housing Benefit only March 2025

    Jobseekers Allowance (Income-Based) only

    Jobseekers Allowance (Income-Based) with Housing Benefit
    April 2025

    Employment and Support Allowance (ESA Income Related) only 

    Employment and Support Allowance (ESA Income Related) with Housing Benefit (HB)

    May 2025

    Transitional Protection

    Measures have been put in place to help and support you when you first move from your current benefit to Universal Credit. For example, when you move over to Universal Credit and your circumstances stay exactly the same the amount of money you are entitled to should stay the same.

    If the amount you are entitled to on Universal Credit is less than your previous benefits, then financial protection may be available to you when you move to Universal Credit.  This additional amount is known as ‘Transitional Protection’. 

    To be eligible for ‘Transitional Protection’ you must: 

    • only apply for Universal Credit once you have received your letter  
    • apply before the deadline date in your letter  
    • have no changes in your circumstances 

    If you are eligible, financial protection will be automatically added to your payment. Transitional Protection is not a loan or a debt and you will not be asked to repay it. 

    To help show how Transitional Protection works, here is an example. 

    Example

    Sarah is entitled to £700 on her existing benefits. 

    Her Universal Credit entitlement is £600. 

    This mean’s Sarah’s Transitional Protection will be £100. 

    Her total Universal Credit entitlement is now £700. 

    Transitional Protection is not permanent. As your Universal Credit entitlement increases, your Transitional Protection payments will fall, until: 

    • your Universal Credit entitlement is the same or more than your previous benefits 
    • you have certain changes to your circumstances  

    You can only get Transitional Protection if you have received a Migration Notice letter from the Department for Communities and you claim Universal Credit within the three month deadline date on your letter.

    If you have not received a Migration Notice letter

    If you are getting an existing benefit, you should not do anything until you receive a letter telling you it is time to make a claim to Universal Credit.

    If you are thinking about making a claim to Universal Credit before you receive a Migration Notice letter, you should seek independent advice. The AdviceNI website and helpline provides free, confidential, independent advice. 

    You can also use a benefit calculator to check how much Universal Credit you may get. This calculator does not include any deductions for a debt.

    You can also check with a local benefits adviser to find out what you could be entitled to.

    More useful links

    • How you can get ready to Move to Universal Credit
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    Universal Credit

    • Agree your Universal Credit Commitment
    • Business expenses you can report if you're self-employed
    • Changes that may affect your Universal Credit
    • Changes you need to tell Universal Credit about
    • Contact the Move to Universal Credit team
    • Contact Universal Credit for help with your claim
    • Extra help to make or maintain your Universal Credit claim
    • Find out who to contact about money taken off your Universal Credit payment
    • Frontier and cross border workers claiming Universal Credit
    • Help to find work on Universal Credit
    • Help while waiting for a Universal Credit payment
    • How much can be taken from your Universal Credit payments
    • How much Universal Credit you get and how you're paid
    • How you can get ready to Move to Universal Credit
    • How you make a claim for Universal Credit
    • If your Universal Credit claim is reviewed
    • Money taken from your Universal Credit payments
    • More financial help if you get Universal Credit
    • Unable to manage your Universal Credit claim by yourself
    • Universal Credit - Sharing your information with others
    • Universal Credit explained — videos to help you make and manage your claim
    • Universal Credit if you have a health condition or disability
    • Universal Credit if you're claiming other benefits
    • Universal Credit if you're employed
    • Universal Credit if you're unemployed
    • Universal Credit payments for children and childcare
    • Universal Credit payments for housing
    • Universal Credit: information for couples
    • What is Move to Universal Credit
    • What to do after you have claimed Universal Credit
    • What will affect your Universal Credit payments
    • Who can claim Universal Credit
    • Who to contact if you disagree with Universal Credit's decision
    • Who to talk to about deductions from your Universal Credit
    • You want to claim Universal Credit again

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    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

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    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

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    Email 
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    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

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